The Hunger Games - A Story Retold
by Rena Estphan
Summary: It is a tragedy – this world we live in. A world that was once beautiful, once free – is now cruel. What is little left of warmth, love and passion within us, are our only glints of light that keep us moving forward to wanting to live. This is who we are. And this is our story...
1. Teaser Extract

It was over. It was all over. She was going back home. She was going back to Prim, to her mother, to Gale. _Gale. _There were so many things she wanted to say to him right now. She missed him dearly – his brown eyes, warm hugs, and his smile that often makes her temporarily forget about the dreadful and unfair world they have been born to live in. Never mind though, there's only the train ride back now, and she'd be able to see them all again soon. _Very soon_.

As she walks towards the train to district twelve – with Peeta and Haymitch several feet ahead - the magnificence of the train station hits her. Of course, she was too occupied about the games when she first arrived here she wouldn't notice the vastness and glamour of a mere train station. Housing 12 different trains – each of which mainly functions for transportation to and from its designated district – the station also encompasses many small dispersed shops that apparently sell souvenirs belonging to the platform's district.

As the three of them pass through the district 4 platform, she notices a nearby shop demonstrating quite a magnificent glass stand, with rows of neatly arranged seashell and pearl jewelry resting on it. Her thoughts immediately shift towards Prim. _Prim would love one of those, _she thinks. She dismisses the idea however when she notices Haymitch and Peeta are now a good distance ahead of her. Her daydreaming about home and her family must have slowed her down.

Despite the station's humongous size, the crowd was suffocating. In fact it was no less crowded that the day she arrived here – in which a huge crowd was packed waiting in the station for the arrival of the long-awaited 24 tributes of this year's games. However, she realizes that it's only because of this packed crowd that no one can seem to spot her right now otherwise she would have been swamped by her _adoring fans, _just as she and Peeta were when leaving the building they resided in for a month.

Face after face pass by her vision, and the more they do, the more she realizes that despite the multitude display of colors, hairstyles and clothes, they all somewhat look the same. It was as if they all belong to one big circus _freak show_, which they probably do, _she thought._ The citizens performed in the freak show and the Capitol was their circus. Sadly and ironically enough, it was the districts that were being played with for the Capitol's entertainment, and not just with colors, but with death.

When she finally gives up on finding someone who looked even remotely normal, a young man suddenly appears into her eyesight. The first thing she notices about him is his fresh-face and absolute dye free body. _Finally, someone who looks normal, _she thinks gratefully. The second thing she notices is how extremely handsome and attractive he is; clearly tall and muscularly built, his tanned skin set extremely well with his deep green eyes and bronze colored hair. Thankfully, he doesn't notice her glance towards him as he walks by, since he is clearly fixated ahead, towards the direction from which she came from.

It is only as their arm sleeves slightly brush and he is behind her, that she suddenly remembers. Before she even has time to ponder that he probably came from a district – which would explain his lack of 'Capitol fashion taste' – she throws her attempts to keep pace with the others and abruptly halts in her tracks. She slowly turns around so that she has a clear view of him and as she watches him walking away from her towards the district 4 platform, memories come flooding back to her. The memories are not of seeing him on the big screen, winning his games nine years ago, or smiling charmingly during his interviews in the capitol.

It is the memory of him finding her, starving and soaked under the rain, one cold day in district 12 four years ago. She remembers him buying her bread from the nearby bakery, telling her that she must learn how to hunt so that she doesn't starve, that she _mustn't _starve, making her promise to always do her best to survive. She remembers back even further, back to when it was just after _his _games 9 years ago. She remembers the trip with her family to district four when she was only 7, him shaking hands with her father, smiling to her, giving her his unique mocking-jay pin; _the mocking-jay pin_!

Immediately, she takes out the pin from her pocket, as if examining it will give her any answers to the questions now storming through her brain. She has had it for 9 years now – the pin that bought her luck, gave her hope, and kept her going. The white mocking-jay flying freely – cleverly made from white sea pearl - yet surrounded by a gold flat ring. He had told her how this mocking-jay pin would keep her safe as long as she had it. He also told her that if she wanted to keep someone she loved safe, she could lend it to them during their 'hardships'.

Her memories took her forward again to their more recent encounter four years ago, as she tried to remember why he was in district 12 in the first place at the time. _It was a victory tour! _Yes, now she clearly remembers. There was a district 4 winner that year and he was their mentor. The games of that year were one of the most tragic, now that she remembers – a girl froze to death at the end after the arena was flooded with what then turned out to be icy freezing water. She sadly remembers how she was told how much that girl resembled her in looks - her big eyes, full lips, high cheekbones… Her eyes slightly begin to tear up as she remembers it was also the year her father died….

"Katniss!" a loud voice snaps her out of her now storming memories. It was Peeta. She realizes that both Peeta and Haymitch have stopped in their tracks to see why she was not immediately behind them, only to notice that she was frozen on spot, staring at something or someone in the complete opposite direction to the district 12 platform. She doesn't answer, but only looks ahead to where the bronze haired boy – now a young man – is heading.

It was odd really that she just realized that he was here all along, watching her games and mentoring other tributes. _He was mentoring_ _district 4 tributes. Rue! _Her heart plummets to her feet as she realizes that he was Rue's mentor – sweet young Rue who died in a world that was cruel to her, that was unfair to her, that never gave her the right to live her years as a true child – loving and innocent. She wonders if he knew whether his tribute's ally was in fact the same girl he saved of starvation four years ago, the same girl he wanted to keep safe and wanted to survive, the same girl he gave that pin to…

"Katniss!" this time it's Haymitch's voice. She can listen to the sound of his footsteps nearing towards her, yet she stays routed on spot. "Katniss, who did you just see?" he asks calmly, looking ahead towards the same direction she was staring at. By then though, the person of interest was a good way ahead and it was impossible for Haymitch to pinpoint to where she was looking at exactly. Good – because she had no reason to give Haymitch as to why she was staring after him in particular. What is there to say? District 4's famous bronze-haired victor is also the boy who saved her life and her family's years ago, and was the one who gave her the mocking-jay pin she wore to the games?

Aware of Haymitch's intent gaze on her, she replied instead: "Nothing. Just thought I saw someone familiar but I was wrong." He didn't look convinced, but still chose not to question her any further. Finally, she turned around and continued her way with Haymitch to the nearby District 12 train, where Peeta was waiting by the entrance.

"What was that all about?" he asked with a confused look on his face. She realized that even Peeta would probably not understand what was going through her head right now. Dismissing it would be the best option. "Nothing just thought I saw someone I knew. Anyways forget about it, turned out to be a capitol citizen, no one I know here," she replied with a shrug. Thankfully, Peeta decided to let it go too.

Her mind suddenly shifts to Cinna and to what he told her about his mentoring job, years ago after becoming victor in the 59th Hunger games, before he became a stylist. Cinna is from district 4 - he must've been the one to mentor _him. _At the thought, she has a sudden urge to find Cinna and tell him about these past encounters with his ex-tribute-victor. He doesn't know. How would he? Unless _he_ told Cinna himself upon realizing who she was, if he ever did that is. Yet again… the pin! She wore the mocking-jay pin to the games – it was pinned onto her jacket for the whole world to see! Did no one make the connection? Did Cinna not make the connection? He did mentor him after all he must've at-least noticed his tribute's token. But then now that she remembers, Cinna did ask her where she got this pin from. She told him it was a gift to her as a child. Only that – she never mentioned the giver's name. Then there was a knowing gleam in his eyes, and he didn't question her further – only adjusted the pin to her jacket. He _did _know then!

For a split moment, she was on the verge of heading back to the district 4 platform to find Cinna, yet gave up on the thought when she realized that if she wanted to talk to him, she needed to do it privately, and certainly not when the topic's main subject was on the same train! Resolving to delay the topic till later, she slowly climbs the steps into the train, and into the lavish and welcoming train lounge.

_We will meet again,_ she suddenly realizes. She will be mentoring next year and so will he, and chances of them meeting when they're mentors are quite high. She's not exactly aware what it is that pulls her to him, or to the memories of him – perhaps his kindness to her when all hope was lost, or perhaps the idea she has that beneath all these charms towards capitol women, and beneath these polished smiles and flirting nature he portrays to the world, resides a boy that has probably suffered several downfalls or tragedies in his still young years, and is merely trying to hide all of that with a fake demeanor. She's not exactly sure why she thinks that, but she would definitely like to believe that her 'bronze-haired-hero' is as considerate in reality as he was to her years ago.

She suddenly senses Peeta's presence next to her, as the train starts moving out of the station. "So what happens now? How do we move on from here?" he asks in a near whisper. She silently ponders his question, not exactly knowing how to reply. Then she replies with something very simple. In her mind, she knows it's not only a reply to his question, but also towards everything that has been running through her mind ever since she was reaped for the games.

"We just move on and forget Peeta. Everything that ever happened in the past, we forget and move on."


	2. Chapter 1

_Love has its place, as does hate. Peace has its place, as do war. Mercy has its place, as do cruelty and revenge. It is a tragedy – this world we live in. A world that was once beautiful, once free – is now cruel. But the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people. What is little left of warmth, love and passion within us, are our only glints of light that keep us moving forward to wanting to live. This is who we are. And this is our story….._

**In a future world, North America as we know it has been destroyed. The continent is now divided into the Capitol, and 12 surrounding districts spread throughout the continent. **

**From the Treaty of the Treason:**

**In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and a female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public "Reaping". **

**These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol. And then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to the death, until a lone victor remains. **

**Henceforth and evermore this pageant shall be known as: The Hunger Games. **

"This is your first year as head-game maker. We all know how the Hunger Games started 65 years ago following the end of a district rebellion. What would you – as new head-game maker- personally make out of the Hunger Games?"

"I think it's our tradition. It comes out of a particularly painful part of our history."

"Yes, yes"

"But it's been the way we've been able to heal. At first, it was a reminder of the rebellion. It was a price the districts had to pay. But I think it has grown from that. I think it's something that knits us all together."

_All sounds toned out as clapping and cheering thundered all over the auditorium, allowing for a prolonged pause before the next question._

"How high do you think will you be able to reach, in keeping up with the stakes that previous head-game makers have placed?"

"Well it's my first year, and I do have to admit, the stakes have been raised. I would be doing my best of course, but a lot of the effort relies on our tributes as well."

"You seem to have high hopes for worthy tributes this year."

"My instincts tell me that certain tributes will be making my job easier…"

DISTRICT 4

One hundred meters away from the shore, waves ripped vigorously over the other. Strong tides were sent off crashing, leaving heavy dents on the sand in the process. Children on the shore screamed with joy over this sudden splash, shouting across the ocean for more. The pink-purple sky originating from the sea horizon began to make way for the white streaks of light emanating from the rising sun.

The sight was breathtaking – yet common in a region like district 4. It was no doubt a lovely day, and was obviously so to many of the citizens, since quite a significant number of early risers were lingering on the beach.

Another major tide crashed onto the shore, and with it emanated screams of the gleeful children playing on the sand. From the opposite side of the beach where little houses stood by, light footsteps prodded the sands across to where the children sat. As the walking figure reached to where the children laid, one of them – apparently the youngest of the children – stood up to acknowledge the new arrival to the group. The little child – a girl no older than 3 years of age with honey-brown colored hair and a quite dazzling pair of green eyes – squealed with delight at the sight of her older sister's arrival.

"Look the sea is splashing water!" The 3-year-old pulled her sister by the hand, in an attempt to drag her into the 'water-splashing sea'. "Slow down Rue! I can't get wet! And mum prepared breakfast, let's go inside and then we can come back for a swim later." In an attempt to pull her off the sand, the older sister had to half drag - half carry the 3-year old to stand up. In the process however, she was near-fully splashed by a sudden tide.

"That's fantastic, now I'm all wet! Rue, let's just go inside, come on." The older sister however, didn't look half-bad wet, as her wet shirt clung to her small yet slender figure. She was in fact as angelic looking – if not more – than her younger sister, with similar green eyes, brown hair and a slim figure. Few would not recognize these two as siblings, since the older 10-year-old was somehow an older version of her younger sister.

Just as they were about to turn around to head home, a figure abruptly rises from beneath the waters nearby, seemingly rising after a brief dive in the ocean. The figure was temporarily unidentifiable, as the faint sun rays engulfed him from the horizon behind, casting him as a shadowy form rising from the sea. The sight was in fact beautiful, creating a seemingly godly figure of the rising boy, whose lean figure only made the sight more appealing. As the boy started to make his way to the shore, his face became more recognizable, as a flash of bronze hair, green eyes and tan skin made its way into the light.

"Wow! Are you a sea god?" asked one of the children innocently.

"Wish I were kido. I wouldn't miss a chance to live in the ocean!" The boy's handsome features were obviously not his only attractive quality. Being only fourteen, he was known in district four for his extra-ordinary swimming and diving skills – even when compared to a 'swimming' district – as well as his impressive fighting skills. As the son of the wealthy Odairs, 14-year-old Finnick Odair left no reason for any teenage girl in district four not to swoon over him. No such expression however, was apparent on the 10-year old girl standing nearby. Her demeanor was not irritation either, yet her face was expressionless and quite indifferent to the new arrival.

"Come on Rue, let's go." Taking her sister's hand, they turned around to leave the company of Finnick and the other children. It was only then that Finnick realized the presence of an older girl amongst the swarm of kids. As she headed with her sister to one of the nearby houses, he vaguely noticed the familiarity of her face. He didn't know her personally, or anything about her family, yet she was someone he would constantly find on the beach, but whom he never made contact with.

It was only when one of the present kids spoke that he realized he had been staring after the two girls walking away for quite a while now. "Finnick, can you teach me how to dive? I want to know how to capture pearls!" Finnick grinned at the little boy, who looked no older than 6 as he barely reached his waist in height. "Tell you what Kori, if I make it through reaping day tomorrow, I promise to teach you how. We can even go pearl diving when you fully learn how to dive."

The boy's face lit with the revelation. "Really? Yes please please! My dad would be very proud of me if I bring pearls home!" However, a second more confused look settled on his face before he asked, "What is reaping day?" Finnick looked at the little boy solemnly, regretting his mention of the 'dreaded' day. It was too early for little Kori to know. Mandatory watching of the games only began at the age of seven – he had one year to go and Finnick was not about to be responsible for depriving Kori from one more year of innocence.

"It's nothing special Kori, you'll know when you grow up soon. I have to go home ok, take care and don't go into deep waters." He patted the little boy's head, and continued on his way back home, but not before waving back at the other kids shouting out 'goodbyes'.

As he walked his way back home through cobbled streets, he began to realize the weight of tomorrow's events. The games weren't as much of a hindrance as a challenge to citizens of district 4, yet the idea repulsed and sickened many. Despite his daily trainings and preparations for the games in the centre, Finnick was one of those many. To 'reap' two children to participate in a death game and more so to bind these children into one of two choices – either kill or be killed – is downright sickening. Forget the overall injustice of the capital towards most of the districts. Forget their ability to easily prosecute by death and torture. Forget their love of gore and violence. No words strong enough exist to describe what this game is – what it stands for.

As Finnick distractingly pondered these thoughts, he realized his knuckles were turning white as he firmly grasped onto the little object he had been carrying for a while now. It is only then that he remembered what he fished out of the ocean depth today. He unfolded his hands to reveal a relatively large and bizarre shaped pearl. The color was perfectly that of regular pearls – satin white but with a hint of grey – yet the shape resembled that of an uneven stone rather than a spherical shape. He remembered his father once telling him about how perfectly spherical pearls are in fact the rare ones, and it is the irregular ones that are more common. Yet he knew that something as bizarre as this would certainly not be found every-day after a dive.

As he reached the front door of his house, he realized that maybe if he were to show the pearl to his dad, he would be able to skillfully shape it into something more specific – that would be uncommon! Anyone who knew what pearls were would understand that shaping pearls would be a near impossibility, and the more regular shaped the harder it becomes. Now excited with the idea, he banged open the front door and immediately made his way to the kitchen where he knew his family would be waiting on the breakfast table.

"Hey dad! Look what I fished out today. It's like nothing I've ever seen before!" he proudly walked over to the table and held out the bizarre-looking pearl for his dad to examine.

"Finnick please don't bang the door like that again! We almost thought it was peacekeepers!" his mum exclaimed. Finnick rolled his eyes at the prospect. Every year just as reaping day nears; his mother – Lena Odair - goes into a fit and tense manner, as if peacekeepers were about to barge into the house at any second to take her kids away into the games. He wouldn't blame her – even the biggest supporters of the games looked more tense than usual on reaping day – it was an instigated "unspoken" fear of the games that very few would ever willingly admit to here in district 4.

"Where did you find this?" his father remarked, who clearly cared less about his son's dramatic entrance and more on the pearl he was holding and closely examining. As the head of one of district 4's biggest pearl industries, Charles Odair was known for his near-obsession for pearls, no matter what size, shape or color. Even with his insistence that every pearl is unique and rare in its own way, Finnick knew by the look on his father's face that today's catch was more extraordinary than usual. "I had to go really deep for that one dad. I didn't know it was there at first, I found it under a rock."

"Well it's a rather remarkable piece! You know I can shape it. It's extremely distorted it'll be much easier to shape." He was still fixated on the pearl, examining it from all possible directions.

"Why does it look so ugly? Aren't pearls supposed to be round?" exclaimed the youngest Odair – a little 7-year old girl who unlike her older brother, had blue eyes, a lighter shade of blonde hair, and unusual white skin for someone living on a sea-side district.

"No Arielle, not all pearls have to be round. But daddy can make it look very pretty, it won't look ugly anymore when daddy's finished with it," said her mother. With that, Arielle looked satisfied enough and the smile on her face returned."Hey Finnick! Guess who asked me about you yesterday?" He knew the answer before she said the name. The teasing look on her face was obvious enough.

"Who was it princess?" that was the nickname he often used with his younger sister. Apart from his parents, she was about the only being he truly cared for in this world. His biggest fear was never of him being reaped into the games; it was of Arielle. He had to ensure that she never be reaped. He just _had to._

"It was Assile. She wanted to talk to you but I told her you were in the town square. I knew she was in love with you!" Finnick laughed at the thought, as he kissed his little sister on the cheek and sat on the seat next to her to join his family for breakfast.

"No Arielle she isn't. We're only good friends, and friends ask about each other." Despite that, he knew his sister might be half-right. Yes, he knew Assile and they were more or less friends, yet her growing interest in spending time with him was becoming quite obvious lately, which can only make him wonder if her feelings towards him were growing too. To be fair though, Finnick was pretty much fond of Assile – she was different than most other girls he encountered here in district 4. Her conversations with him were more meaningful than those of most other girls and even her apparent 'liking' for him were less flaunting and more friend-like. In fact, if she were not technically still in a relationship with her boyfriend Reese, he might've asked her out. On that however, things did not appear to be going well lately between the two, and Finnick had a strong feeling that Reese' brutish and egoistic manner were the main reason.

"Finnick, have you gone over all your training techniques with your instructor? Tomorrow's reaping day you know." His mum exclaimed suddenly, breaking him out of his reverie. Of course, it was these questions that reminded him that everything he went through and lived with in school was only meaningless drama that would mean nothing the second he is reaped into the games. It was little moments like these that magnified his hate for the capitol, for depriving him of the right to live as a normal teenager; the right to not have to learn how to kill at age fourteen. "Yes mum, we did so all last week. Tonight's going to be an open training session, so I'll just re-practice everything I've learnt this year."

"Practice well. For all we know you might get reaped! And district 4 hasn't been seeing any volunteers for the past couple of years."

"I don't think Finnick will need someone volunteering for him Lena. He is more than capable of participating and even winning the games if he were reaped." It wasn't that Finnick doubted his father's words. It was rather what it took. _What it took to win the games…_

"Charles yes, but he's only fourteen! How many fourteen year-olds have you heard of winning the games in the past? None! Absolutely none! Most victors were at least 16 when they won!"

"Yes and how many have you seen use a trident the way my son does? He can be stronger than the whole lot of these obnoxious district 1 and 2 kids put together!"

Finnick was thankful for this fact, knowing that if he were reaped for the games, he would at-least have a high chance of coming back home. Yet the prospect of _killing_ others to do that – it made him sick.

The scrambled eggs in-front of him looked suddenly unappealing. He has lost all forms of appetite and any more mention of the games might only make him throw up. He settled instead for his orange juice, drinking it down in one gulp.

"Regardless," continued his father "District 4's population is quite massive, and we are more than wealthy enough to not have to have Finnick's name in more than three times. I think worrying about Finnick being reaped is quite unnecessary."

His father was right. Finnick knew that. The odds were definitely in their favor and they had nothing to worry about. Yet for some reason, he could not let go of the sickening feeling that seemed to settle in his stomach. It was as if something bigger out there was waiting for him – waiting out there for his fate to unravel – as if today would be his last day in a normal life.


	3. Chapter 2

As the sun rays now fully flooded the region, bright morning made its way. Finnick and Arielle were only two of many students now making their way across the streets to the district's main school – a large institution that accommodated more than ten thousand students. Although Finnick generally enjoyed the company of his parents, he was glad to have left the house due to their constant bickering over the games. He knew everything would be back to normal by tomorrow afternoon, once the reaping was over, and the tributes were already chosen.

As they turned around the last corner, the humongous front building of the school finally came into sight. It was rather ancient-looking yet clean and orderly. The bricks lining its outer walls were of an off-white color, and a frame of white marble surrounded the front entrance door. The three other buildings connected to it were identical. Outside the front building, kids and teenagers swarmed into the entrance, while others stood on the grass-field, waiting for the morning bell to ring. The usual wire fences surrounding state buildings lined the outer perimeter of the grass fields, with peacekeepers standing guard at every few meters around the fence. Education was strictly mandatory for all children from ages 4 till 18, and thus measures to prevent students from escaping school hours was 'a must', according to the Capitol. Everyone knew however, that the Capitol's reason for 'mandatory education' was less for actual knowledge development and more for 'brainwashing' the district children with Capitol ideas.

As they passed through the metal gate by the fence were peacekeepers stood guard, Finnick stopped and turned to look at Arielle. "You know where to go from here little princess yeah? Classes begin in 10 minutes."

"Yeah I know where to go."

"Alright good, we'll meet here again at 3, don't forget!" He turned around to head to the school's front building, before his sister called out.

"Finnick? Is it true?" his sister mumbled in a soft yet apparently scared-voice.

"What is princess?" For a fleeting moment he thought he knew what she was talking about, yet he waited for her to finish her question. "Is it true that children die in the Hunger Games? And is it true that you might play in this game?" He knew she heard them talking about the games this morning, yet he never realized she would know the games in their vulgar and true form. It doesn't matter though. This year's games are mandatory for Arielle to watch, she will know sooner or later.

Tears were starting to fill up Arielle's eyes, and all Finnick could do was curse the Capitol and its games, and the world they were brought up to live in. If only they lived in another timeline. If only they lived in a place where children had the right to be safe and protected…

Kneeling down in front of his sister, he looked into her tearful eyes, and silently swore to himself that no matter what would happen, he needed to keep Arielle safe from harm, and safe from the Capitol's clutches. "Arielle, I promise you that everything is going to be ok. I don't want to go play in this stupid game. But if they pick me, and I have no choice, I just want you to know that we will still all be ok. I promise."

"Ok." Somehow her barely-heard OK reassured him, and when he was sure that her tears would not fall, he finally stood up to leave. Before he said anything else, she whispered a silent 'goodbye' and made her way across to the primary-school field.

After making his way past the white marble entrance, he was immediately dragged into the blur of students inside. Students were running across the hallway, going through their morning 'locker-routine' or merely standing by in group conversations. "I wonder what this year's arena would be like." "I hope we get a winner this year, last time we did was six years back." "Reese Cobelt might volunteer, that's what I heard." Game-talk echoed everywhere as Finnick made his way to his locker. Many were looking forward to the games, yet surprisingly, more voiced concerns than usual. Finnick wished they would stop, because he had been listening to similar conversations all morning since dawn. He knew today's buzz would be nothing compared to the hype this coming month when the games would be on air live, yet at least by then Reaping day would have passed.

As he reached his locker, he was lunged forward by a sudden weight on his shoulders, almost pushing him to the ground. "Hey Fin! Ready for the games tomorrow?" Finnick stood up straight and turned around to find his friend Grey smiling smugly at him. "It's only Reaping day Grey. The games are not till another month," Finnick replied coldly. It wasn't that Grey was to blame for anything related to the games, but his excited demeanor slightly irritated Finnick. He couldn't understand how many in district 4 failed to see the sick twist to the games. Then again, that's what school was for, to brainwash them.

"What's with the glum bro? I know you hate the games but, look at the bright side. If you get picked at least you know how to fight!"

"Grey. I know I can fight. But there will be 23 other soles going into that damn arena! And I don't want to have to kill so that I could live." For a moment, Grey stared back at Finnick with a near-concerned look, as if he were about to agree, but then quickly chose to change the subject.

"So what's with you and Assile? It looks like the girl's got a thing for you." While Finnick did not prefer _this _topic as well, he was grateful for the change in mood. "No man she's with Reese, and we're only friends."

"Well by the looks of it, she'll be dumping old Reese anytime now. Anyways, who would date a jerk like him?" Finnick chuckled at Grey's snide comment. He was right. Reese _was_ a jerk. Two years older than Finnick, he was someone who often enjoyed bullying younger kids in particular. Last year, he constantly attempted to bully Finnick, simply for beating him at the school's swimming championship. However, one afternoon that finally ticked Finnick off and left Reese with a black eye and a bruised ego, pushed Reese back to settle for only snide remarks when dealing with Finnick. His constant boasting "of volunteering for the games soon" didn't go unnoticed as well. Word was spreading that this year might be his year, although Finnick doubted Reese would really volunteer, seeing as he would probably cower out at the last minute.

Just as Finnick slammed his locker shut and turned around with Grey to head for their first class, a voice stops them from behind. "Hello Finnick." _Assile Fenning._

"Hey Assile" Finnick replied brightly. He knew she would find him. It had become a near-daily routine for the two to have their 'morning locker' talk. She smiled back, glad at his bright response. The girl was pretty no doubt. With light chestnut hair that fell below her shoulders, and honey brown eyes with slightly tan skin, Assile could easily boast a typical district 4 beauty.

"Hey Assile! How's Reese doing? Last time I heard he's pitching for the games this year!" chirped Grey. _He just had to throw Reese into the mix,_ Finnick thought exasperated.

"Oh God, he does this every year. Honestly Grey, he's free to throw himself into whatever he likes. He might as well go play in these stupid games for all I care." Or maybe Finnick was glad Reese was thrown into the mix. It was nice to see others bashing the games as he did. "So training center this evening?" Finnick added in.

"Yeah I guess I…" she was cut off midway before finishing her sentence.

"Yeah training center tonight Odair. Good to know you'll be there. Maybe a one-on-one spar? A good chance for legally kicking your ass?" It was Reese. As he barged into the conversation, he rested his arms possessively around Assile's shoulder, as if someone were planning to kidnap her right there and then.

"Sure. If u don't mind ending up with two black eyes Reese." Grey snickered hysterically at Finnick's comment, which only made Reese redder in the face.

"Bite your tongue Odair, or I'll be giving you your own black eye right here!"

"Hey! Hey! I'm not gonna see you causing trouble here, I'm sick of you picking fights with everyone!" Assile abruptly turned on Reese to scold him.

"What're you screaming your ass off at me for? It's the dickhead next to you who's pushing me!"

Several students were now starting to gather around their spot. It was quite common for such a commotion to happen in the mornings, especially with Reese. "Woah. Watch out Reese. You touch Finnick and _I'll_ be giving you the black eye." Finnick observed his older friend Axon as he approached them. Although taking Reese on was not a concern for him, Finnick was glad others tended to take his side. At least it cleared his conscience that he was not the guilty one.

As Axon came to stand next to Finnick, more students were starting to gather. "Stay out of it Ax, or you'll regret it too."

"You know," Finnick replied. "I really think you're pissing everyone off now. So why don't you just go to class like a good boy. The bell's about to ring."

Before Reese's fist had time to make contact with Finnick's face, Assile was already there to intervene. "Reese! Just stop it! Don't make this worst than it already is!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs now. Finnick wondered why none of the peacekeepers came to check this mess out. Their voices were far from low.

"Why're you defending him, huh? You're supposed to be on my side, you're my girlfriend!" shouted back Reese. "Or what? Are you crushing now over the pretty boy? Is that what it is?"

_Slap! _Everyone went into total silence. Even Grey's snickering stopped and his face turned into silenced shock. Everyone was looking at the two, as Assile lowered her hand, without a hint of fear on her face, from what Reese might respond with. His cheeks turned beetroot, and whether from anger or embarrassment, Finnick didn't know. Assile was still fuming, her eyes widened with anger.

"I am not your girlfriend." This time, her voice was dangerously low, yet clearly heard as the hallway was now in stunned silence. "Because we are over. I'm sick of taking your bullshit for the past year." With that, she secured her bag onto her shoulder, and abruptly made her way out of the crowd and down the corridor. As soon as Assile left, the morning bell rang, and the crowd began to disperse. Reese, now awoken from his momentary shock, roughly grabbed his bag and pushed past Finnick, making sure he bumped into his shoulder as he passed.

"Ouch." That was all Grey could say after Reese left. Apart from Finnick, no one ever gave Reese what he just got, especially coming from a girl. Without saying anything, Finnick picked up his bag, mumbled a quick 'thanks' to Axon, and made his way to class.

The rest of the day was not as eventful as the morning. Although Finnick knew that Reese would not be trying anything rash now that peacekeepers were dwelling in the hallways, he still stayed on the lookout for any sudden attack, or sight of Reese getting closer. To Finnick, the only positive thing about this morning's events was that students had a different topic to discuss other than the games. Whispers ran across the hallway about Reese 'getting his ass kicked again' and of course, about his and Assile's breakup. It certainly looked like Assile was confirming it. At lunch, she joined Finnick and his friends' table, while completely ignoring Reese's glares from across the cafeteria. It was funny, how some students came up to their table to congratulate Assile on finally standing up for Reese and giving him what he deserved.

"Wow! I wasn't aware how much people hated Reese around here." her tone hinted slight amusement. "I guess it's a good thing I broke up with him."

"He's a dickhead. We never really understood why you dated him in the first place." It was Kreesa who spoke now, as she picked on the rice in her plate. Kreesa was a good friend of Finnick's and always seemed to carry special care for him. Her parents knew Finnick's parents as well, since both their dads grew up together. "He wasn't always a dickhead Kreesa," added in Axon. " He was actually once decent. We were friends for 15 years before he decided to turn into a dickhead. The guy does have a conscience though."

What seemed like quite a while passed by with no more mention of Reese, before Assile spoke quietly next to Finnick, so that only he could hear. "It's true you know. He wasn't always a dickhead." Finnick looked at her with a questioning look, unsure whether she was trying to defend Reese now. "I mean, there must've been a reason why I started dating him. I know he always appears rude and a bully, but, sometimes I really believed that he cared for me. I guess with time, his ego just outgrew him."

He wasn't sure whether she was right or not, he didn't know Reese for very long. As he shifted his gaze across the cafeteria and towards Reese's table, Finnick noticed the uneasiness on Reese's face. Whether from this morning's embarrassment or from his recent breakup with Assile, he couldn't tell. But this apparent uneasiness hinted towards sadness more than embarrassment, which only proved Assile's and Axon's words earlier.

_Strike. _It was right on spot in the middle of the dummy's heart. Clapping erupted around the gymnasium, as Finnick went forward to fetch his trident from the now severed dummy. He broke a new record today – a bull's eye to the heart from 23 meters away – a record no one reached yet in district 4, neither with spear nor trident. "Well done son!" shouted his coach. "You just broke a new record."

The training center was crowded tonight, which wasn't surprising since everyone would not miss on last-day training before the Reaping. As Finnick fetched his trident, Grey was waiting on the other side, ready to throw his spear from a 20 meters distance. Instead of going back to the front, Finnick made his way towards the sword station. A sharp strike followed by groans from the spear station was enough for him to know that Grey missed his spot.

From a distance, Finnick could see Reese severally striking a dummy with a sword, nearly chopping off the plastic dummy's head. Deciding against any further trouble for today, he steered away from the sword station and into the knife throwing section. There was a waiting line there too, so he joined the back of the line before his turn came up. It was only a minute before Assile joined him in the line.

"Hey! Nice shot back there with the trident," she exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"Well let's hope I would only have to ever use it against a dummy…or a fish" he added jokingly. Her smile slightly faltered at the sudden reminder of what tomorrow's events would entail. From up front, they could hear three sharp pangs as a familiar girl hit three dummies simultaneously with three sharp knives. Finnick looked up to see that all three dummies were pierced in the heart. The girl was Kreesa. "You go girl," Finnick muttered under his breath, smiling to himself. As she turned around, Kreesa caught Finnick's smile and winked at him challengingly. Realizing the meaning of her actions, he chuckled and silently accepted her challenge. Kreesa was good, but not too good to outperform him. She always made it a point to challenge Finnick when in the training center.

"Hey I think the victors are keeping an eye on you." Assile whispered next to him, while her gaze was clearly fixated towards the gymnasium stage. Following her stare, Finnick realized what she meant. From a distance up on the stage, which was more of a sightseeing spot for the victors who often came to observe these trainings, he could see one of them staring exactly towards where Finnick and Assile stood. The man's eyes – although distant and clearly dark – were piercing enough for Finnick to know that he could only be staring at them. Well dressed in a dark suit, tall and muscled, with these dark piercing eyes and dark hair, no one would mistake him for someone other than Cinna Kleffield, district 4's most recent victor – which even then was six years back.

Finnick remembered how he would always spot him on that stage, but the victor never approached any of the trainees, let alone make conversation. In fact most of the victors seemingly preferred to live in their own world of fame and the capitol, as some spent most of their time in the capitol and were barely ever spotted in district 4. While Cinna Kleffield was one of those who preferred to often stay in the district, he did tend to be quite isolated like the others.

As Finnick's turn came up at the knife throwing station, he carefully chose his knives, ending up with three large daggers and two smaller knives. As he steadied himself, he was conscious of everyone's eyes on him, including Kreesa's, and even those of Cinna and the other victors, despite their distance from the station. Without hesitation, he threw the three daggers one after the other, as each one engraved itself into a dummy's heart. Without stopping to breath, he threw the fourth smaller knife and hit one of the dummys' head, and to everyone's surprise, threw his last knife right into the first dagger's hilt. Not one knife showed any sign of tilting, as they remained there deeply pierced into the dummies, with the last one firmly clung to the dagger's hilt.

From a distance, he could hear a sharp whistle coming from the stage, which he guessed came from one of the victors. It wasn't Cinna however, since the victor now appeared only more intrigued and not shocked like the others were, as if what he just witnessed was something of great interest and required deep thought. Finnick looked towards Kreesa, realizing her smile only grew, with a gesture that clearly meant "_next time it'll be my turn"._ As Finnick left his spot to make way for Assile, his gaze met Reese's standing at the back of the line, having already finished with the sword station. The older boy did not utter a word, but simply stared at Finnick with the coldest stare he could muster up. Having decided to ignore him for the rest of the day at least, Finnick made his way to the sword station, while staring back along the way at Assile as she successfully pierced the two dummies' hearts with razor knives.


	4. Chapter 3

As their feet trotted along the usual cobbled streets of the district 4 main square the lamps along the streets leading ahead started to light through an avenue under the shimmering twilight sky. Despite the sun's absence, there was no hint of chilliness or cold breezes, only light winds mixed in an air of slight summer humidity.

Ever since they left the training center, Grey's chit chatting tones never left the ears of the group. "Bro, did you look at Reese's face? Obviously he was still trying to recover from this morning. Girl you must've had such an effect on that boy!" He looked at Assile bemusedly, waiting for a reply, as she walked ahead silently next to Kreesa, not having uttered a word all the way.

"Well he deserved what he got. I don't regret leaving him, it's about time he realizes how much of an asshole he could be." Assile replied almost in a bored manner. The constant bombardment of questions directed towards her since this morning about their breakup has left her loathing any more explanation over the issue. Yet Grey was right, it looks like Reese has really gone into an unusual sort-of-stunned state. Even in the three hours spent in the training center he never spoke a word to her, only stared at her from a distance while putting unnecessary force in severing the dummies' heads. She wasn't sure whether he was waiting for the right moment till when she's alone to confront her or whether he was plotting some cunning way to get back at Finnick.

She looked at Finnick, walking slightly ahead with Axon. A year younger than she was, she began to acknowledge Finnick's level of maturity that seems to have been attracting her quite recently. His family's wealth, his dazzling looks and extraordinary talents never nurtured his ego like it did to boys like Reese; he was merely the light-natured, good-humored boy of district 4 who loved his family and his sister above all else. He was a boy who saw the Capitol and these wretched games for what they truly are. He was a boy that... she cared about more than she was supposed toFinnick was now itching to dive into the water, now only several feet away. It was a long day and his stress levels were high – the water was his only soothing medium, the only place where he would feel calmness. He couldn't though, not now. His parents and sister were waiting for him for dinner. It was the last night before the Reaping, and maybe by chance, his last night in district 4. _No, he should stop thinking like that. There are thousands of others who have much higher chances of getting reaped._

"Don't worry man, I know what you're thinking. " he was suddenly interrupted out of his reverie by Axon. "I'm not going to tell you that because your chances are lower than a lot of people, then there's no need to worry. It is by chance after all. But have faith in yourself. Have faith that no matter what you do, it's not your fault and that you'll never be robbed of who you truly are."

Thinking about Axon's words, he realized they have reached the spot where Finnick was swimming in the morning. From afar, the silhouettes of four small figures were cast under the setting sun, not giving much detail to their identities. As they were nearing them, Axon's eyes suddenly widened in recognition, as the smallest figure of the four was near enough.

"Hey Rue! Rue!" Axon's voice boomed across the shore and apparently caught the attention of the other three children as they turned their heads towards the group's direction. The little brown-haired girl that occupied the nearest figure suddenly started to squeal in delight as the newcomers approached.

"Axon! Axon!" her small body ran across the shore as fast as her feet could carry her, and before reaching Axon, tripped and fell on the sands.

"Ooohh careful there!" as he reached her, he gently carried her up and kissed her on the cheek. As Finnick approached the two, he recognized the little girl, Rue, from this morning. She was one of Kori's friends.

"Finnick, meet my little cousin, Rue. She's a big fan of water and doesn't miss a chance to come to the beach. Good thing you live near it." Her cheeks started to slightly redden as she gave out one of the cutest giggles Finnick ever heard.

"I know who your are! You are the sea king that comes out of the sea in the morning!" Her enthusiasm over the theory only made her look more adorable, if possible.

"Hey there little Rue!" Assile called out as she arrived with the rest. "Out for a swim in the sunset?"

"Assile!" Rue squealed, wriggling herself out of Axon's grip, onto the sandy ground, and straight to hug Assile from around the waist.

"Isn't she a cuty," Kreesa whispered next to Grey, as Rue clung tightly to Assile's legs.

"Looks like my little cousin has a new favorite now." Axon added teasingly to Rue. "So I'm not your favorite person in Panem anymore Rue?"

"Can't I have more than one favorite person?" she asked innocently, as she let go of Assile and turned to address Axon. He gave a light-hearted laugh, as he turned to address the other three approaching figures. "Ohhh here comes my other adorable little cousin. How're you doing seashell?"

"Little?" An older girl arrived, shooting a slightly reprimanding look at Axon. "I'm ten years old Axon. I'm not so little anymore." She placed her hands on her hips in an authoritative way, as Axon gave the girl a light hug. Finnick recognized the girl from this morning, Rue's older sister who dragged her out of the beach when he was talking to the other kids. He remembered seeing the girl on the beach before, but never knew her name or family. Now he knew that she and Rue were Axon's cousins all along. He never even gave a thought to Axon's blood relatives, seeing as he only ever met Axon's widowed mother and his siblings, his father having died when Axon was only 6 years old.

"Hey there seashell! Haven't seen you for quite a while now! Why didn't you come with your parents yesterday for dinner?" Assile smiled brightly at the older sister as she went for a hug as well.

"Well Glen didn't want to go so I had to stay and take care of him." As she said that a taller figure arrived, a boy who looked to be slightly older than the girl in fact. Finnick was slightly confused about the 'taking care' part, until he noticed the odd demeanor and expression on the boy's face. It was the boy with autism.

Again, he kept spotting the autistic boy constantly on the beach, but never made a connection to his family name. To realize that he was Axon's cousin after all, it made Finnick feel slightly ashamed of his lack of care towards Axon's family and relatives.

"Glen my man!" Axon approached Glen, clapping him on the back.

"Axooon! Axxoon!" The boy unnecessarily repeated Axon's name, while throwing his arms around Axon's neck. When he let go, he continued his conversation with an onset of babbling, meaningless hand gestures and different vocal patterns that appeared to be non-synchronized with what he was trying to say. Throwing him a smile, Finnick approached the boy and held out his arm for a hand shake. The boy, who was initially hyper and above levels of excitement, now suddenly diminished at Finnick's gesture. Regardless, he still stretched out his arm and shook Finnick's.

"Nice to meet you Glen," Finnick spoke while shaking Glen's hands. For no apparent reason, Glen pulled out his hand from Finnick's and attempted to hide behind Axon, as if Finnick were planning to launch an attack any second later. Finnick himself could only feel relieved as soon as Axon took it from there with Glen. He must admit, he was not good at dealing with such cases. He turned to address the girl named 'seashell' this time, in an attempt to avert his troubled mind from the boy.

"So your name is seashell? Or is that a nickname?" The girl, who in fact sported a slightly cold attitude in the morning, turned to look at Finnick with a hint of a smile and a welcoming gesture.

"It's only a nickname." She replied, before adding: "My name is Annie, Annie Cresta."

Cresta. _Cresta. _Yes, it definitely rang a bell. He was aware of the Crestas as a district 4 family yet he never knew its members. Well not only did he just meet three Cresta siblings, Glen, Annie, and Rue Cresta, but he also came to realize that they were Axon's blood relatives. "Nice to meet you Annie," Finnick added politely. " My name is Finnick Odair." He felt quite stupid adding that part at the end. Obviously, she would know who he is. Not only did Axon just publicly use his name several times, very few in district 4 did indeed not know who the Odairs were, especially Finnick.

"Yeah I know who you are. We've heard so much about you from Axon." For some odd reason, this made Finnick more awkward around the girl, perhaps because he cannot say the same about her family since Axon never spoke of them.

"Well I hope it was the good stuff," he added teasingly. From behind Annie, he noticed the arrival of the last member of the four children. It was 9-year-old Thresh, Kori's older brother.

"Hey Finnick!" The boy greeted Finnick with an enthusiastic and smug grin, apparently having achieved something to be proud of. Before Finnick could reply, Grey lunged into his usual suffocating arm grip around Thresh that always signified Grey's way of saying hello.

"Thresh my man! Missed seeing you in school today!" With his head in his grip, he ruffled the boy's hair into messy strands.

"Y-yeah I didn't go to the main playground-d." Thresh was clearly going red under Grey's grip, yet his attempt to try to act 'tough' or 'manly' left him to take the blow. In fact if Finnick did not intervene, Grey wouldn't have noticed that he was choking the boy.

"Alright there Grey, you're killing him. I swear your choke can suffocate me sometimes." Finally realizing what Finnick meant, he let go, patting Thresh on the back with a smirk.

"Sorry man, your strong enough though you can take it." Somehow, despite his near suffocation, Thresh looked pleased at Grey's comment.

"Hey Annie, who'll be taking care of Rue tomorrow at the Reaping? Or will she go?" Assile asked Annie with a concerned voice, realizing that all the other family members will be forced to be there. Rue was obviously not paying attention to the conversation having been occupied with building the sand castle that Axon and Kreesa – who immediately seemed to take a liking for Rue - had started for her.

Annie glanced at Rue for a second before answering: "No of course not, she'll stay at the beach with Kori while we're off. There'll be plenty of other children and as far as I know, and Peacekeeprs guard the beach every year on Reaping day. I guess she's old enough now to question why the Reaping happens, but definitely not so much as to watch the games." Finnick could not help but notice her bitter tone by the end of her short speech. Well out of all days, today he realized that perhaps the number of people begrudging the games is more than he ever thought.

"Well I think I should get going. I promised my mum I'll make it by dinner time." It was only when Axon stoop up and mentioned 'dinner' that Finnick remembered _his _dinnertime. Looking at his watch, he realized they must've been standing by the beach for at least 15 minutes. Looking at the others, he gestured towards Axon in agreement. He didn't know however, whether Annie and the other children should be left here alone on the beach, as it was getting dark. Peacekeepers would be storming the area in a while, in preparation for tomorrow.

As if reading his mind, Axon abruptly added: "Annie, I think you guys should come with me, I'll drop you off home, it's not far off anyways. I don't want you here at night with all the Peacekeepers hanging around."

"Ok. We were going anyways, mum did say we should be back before it gets very dark." Taking this as a cue, Axon carried Rue on his shoulder and gestured for Glen to take his hand, who has also been occupied with the unfinished sandcastle.

"Right guys, I'll see you in school tomorrow, we'll go the main town square together for the Reaping." In an attempt to wave goodbye with Rue on his shoulder, he managed a brief hand gesture before turning around with the others and heading towards Annie's house. As they were leaving, Glen and Rue waved back to the group in fits of goodbyes, while Annie shouted out: "Nice to meet you Finnick. Bye Assile I'll see you tomorrow!"

Finnick smiled back at Annie, wondering whether he will ever interact with these children if Assile and Axon were not there. Maybe he should. Not only are they Axon's blood relatives, they were really nice and friendly. Despite the pity he carried for Glen's condition and his inability to cope with such matters, he knew that befriending the boy would be the only way to optimize Glen's situation. Annie as well turned out to be a very sweet girl, and very mature for her age. He wouldn't mind talking to her again or even befriending her.

Before axon was out of earshot, Grey suddenly shouted after him: "Yo man! Don't forget tomorrow after the reaping. Beach party celebration! Everyone will be there!"

Axon gestured back to Grey with somewhat of an exasperated look, and continued on is way.

"You usually host the party?" Assile asked, in a rather surprised tone.

"Well yeah, me and some of the guys in school. It's not a bad idea you know, people have reason to celebrate after the Reaping. Some are just glad they're not picked, and some are honored they are! Depends who you're talking about. Of course some are just there for the fun and the free spirits."

"Well I usually go because no one I know would get picked," Kreesa spoke in a matter-of-fact manner. Assile nodded in agreement.

"I think most people do for that reason. Unless you're talking about someone who volunteers, there wouldn't be a reason for them to morn." It was Finnick who replied this time. He remembered this annual party, having attended it ever since he turned 12. Like Assile, he would always go in celebration that no one he knew got picked. Hopefully, he'll be able to do the same tomorrow.

"Ok then, I'll take Thresh home, since it's next to my house. Come on buddy, your parents will be worried about you." Grey added to Thresh, giving him a hard pat on the back that almost knocked poor Thresh to the ground. As the five made their way out of the beach and onto the main roads again, Thresh and Grey took their route to their house, leaving Finnick, Assile and Kreesa to continue on their way. All three headed towards the same direction, as they lived in the same block.

By the time they dropped off Kreesa and were almost at Assile's front door, Finnick came up with a thought. Before he could stop himself, the thought already formed into words: "Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I mean at home, with my family. Then you can meet my parents."

Assile looked at him, surprised he even asked her. Whether there was any meaning behind his invitation she didn't know, but she certainly was not going to decline. "Sure, I'd love to! Let me just tell my parents I'll be late. Be right back." As she headed over to her front door, Finnick smiled to him-self, realizing that asking her was perhaps a good idea after all.

* * *

"So how's Rakan, Assile?" asked Charles, sitting at his usual seat at the head of the dinner table.

"You know my father?" she asked with a surprised tone, never giving it a thought that her father was an acquaintance of the Odairs.

"Of course I do. Rakan Flenning and I had a good friendship back in our school days. We don't talk as much as we used to, but he is still one of district 4's most respected businessmen, and I still value our old friendship. It was only an issue of time and years that we are not so close as we were."

"I never knew that," she spoke in a near whisper with a smile, clearly pleased with the idea. "He is doing really well actually. Demand for netting seems to be rising."

Finnick always knew about their fathers' old acquaintance, yet he never happened to mention it to Assile. Perhaps he always assumed she just knew. Sitting right across the table from Assile, Arielle plastered a wide smile to her face while swallowing her food, always glancing at Assile out of the corner of her eyes. The look on her face was comical once Finnick introduced Assile to his family – she was already teasing him this morning about the fact that they hung out, therefore let alone inviting her home for dinner.

"You know Assile, all four of us, that is your parents, Charles and I, all attended the same school you attend now." Lena added as a matter of fact. "We weren't all in the same class, but regardless we remember each other. I never really knew your mother well though since she was three years below my year. But your father and I were in the same year, and sometimes in the same class. Although I only got to know him properly when Charles and I started dating in high school, since the two were friends at the time."

"Didn't most people living around here attend the same school? Everyone I know attends the main school district," added Finnick in between dinner bites. It was true; their school was big enough to accommodate most kids in the central part of district 4. In fact it was the most populated of all of District 4's twelve schools, and was the only school situated in this of side of the District.

"Well yes everyone who lived in the district's center attended the same school. That's why we all did, since we all lived nearby. Of course, that's where your father and I met. Speaking of which," she suddenly turns to face her husband, " tomorrow's our wedding anniversary; 15 years to the day!"

Very true, Finnick thought abruptly, remembering how every year his parents would celebrate their anniversary with many of his friends' parents while all the teenagers would be off at the annual post-Reaping beach party.

"Didn't that coincide with Reaping day back then?" asked Assile.

"Yes it did," replied Charles. "We got married only several hours after the Reaping. It was a huge celebration I remember at the time. Also, that was the year of the Quarter Quell. Four teenagers were taken away that year, one of which volunteered mind you. Yet the winner was surprisingly from the very unexpected District 12. Poor soles, they haven't had a proper taste of victory before then, and even now, haven't won any games since this Quarter Quell. I hear the victor, Haymitch Abernathy, is a drunkard now. God knows what happened to him after the games."

There was a prolonged silence that seemed to engulf the family after the mention of the games. Perhaps it was an unspoken worry of tomorrow's Reaping - of the events that might unfold as soon as the first slip of paper is out of that huge glass bowl.

* * *

"Finnick?"

"Hhmm?"

"Did you ever imagine what might exist beyond these lands? Beyond Panem?"

Finnick turned his head to address Assile, her face half-concealed by the bed of grass in which their bodies laid on. It wasn't the first time that such a question occurred to him. Yet his brainstormed answers were never clear, neither were his parents' nor his teachers'. Considering her question again carefully, he turned his head again so that his face was facing the black blanket sky ahead, severally dotted with bright dots of stars.

"The Capitol likes us to believe that it is only space and nothingness. Like these stars above, they're supposed to be part of this nothingness. I don't really believe that though. There is no reason why we should be the only beings that exist in this world. There might be another world out there, where people live and act like us. Perhaps they live happier than we do. People who live the way they like, not being governed or forced to send their kids into a death game. People who are free."

Silence overcame the next few minutes as both pondered the meaning of Finnick's words, before Assile added: "Do you think we can ever become a free world ourselves?"

It wasn't that Finnick never gave this issue a thought, yet the idea or even mere possibility of a free nation, a free society, seemed so farfetched and impossible that asking for it was better left unmentioned. It could only ever be a dream – one that was enacted by the rebellion more than half a century ago and crumbled into the ground, along with the rebellion and a whole district with it. Yet a thought was a thought, nothing more.

"If we fight for it long enough, then I think yeah we can. The rebellion only stopped when the people's fears from the Capitol's wrath overcame their desire for freedom. If people kept that desire long enough, if sacrifices were willingly made, then yeah I think we've got a shot," he added with a teeth-flashing smile.

She smiled back at him, glad that he was even able to consider a proper response. "What if such a rebellion were enacted again? What would you do then?"

His smile disappeared now and his face suddenly turned into a serious expressionless one. He turned his head back to face the sky before replying:

"I will be on the rebels' front lines."


	5. Chapter 4

Reaping day was never one of dread and fear in district 4 as it was in many other districts. It was rather a day of anticipation, yet anxiety and tension as well. You could see this on the faces of the citizens on this particular morning. Perhaps dread was a factor with many, but no one would show it – not in district 4 and certainly not on reaping day when peacekeepers were swarming the place. It was part of the image that district 4 had to keep for a very long time as a career district. Any slip and they would be no different than those of districts 11 and 12 in the eyes of the Capitol.

The school cafeteria projected more or less as much anticipation and anxiety as the households did, Finnick noticed as he entered the food court. Every year on Reaping day, their school day would get interrupted before the usual 3 pm final bell, since Reaping started at 2. Their final class would end at 11 – which was usually followed by a lunch break - and all the students would then head to the cafeteria in waiting for the district horn to sound, signaling to the people of the district that they must head towards the main town square for the public Reaping.

As Finnick headed towards the usual lunch table where Axon and Kreesa sat, he couldn't but notice their increased tension in comparison to yesterday – not that they weren't fighters, but both had siblings to worry about. As he took his seat next to Axon, Assile arrived with a near empty tray carrying only a bottle of water and an apple, with Grey following behind.

"Aren't you hungry?" Finnick asked, eyeing her empty tray with a concerned look.

"I've lost my appetite. Anything other than an apple and I think I'll throw up." He couldn't blame her. If it weren't for him leaving the house this morning on an empty stomach, he probably wouldn't have had much of an appetite too. Even Grey's usual cheerful demeanor was somehow missing today, Finnick noticed as he took his seat next to Assile. _Well, or so he thought._

"Cheer up guys!" Grey suddenly perked up. "Next thing you know, it'll be over and we'll be dancing on the beach, chilling with spirits, and having a blast. We'll be cheering on and placing our bets on whoever plays, and all the better if Reese volunteers, that way we can place bets on who gets to kick his ass first on national television." He finished with a chuckle, somehow lightening the mood slightly.

"I like how you put it Grey," Axon retaliated, "but problem is, it's not even 1 yet, and the Reaping doesn't start till 2, so we're not really past through this yet. Let's just hope for the best, instead of assuming that our names and our siblings' are not in that stupid bowl."

"If you say," Grey muttered in a low tone, clearly displeased. "Speaking of which, do you really think Reese will volunteer? He's been talking about it for ages."

Kreesa made a choking sound while swallowing her food, "Reese always has been talking about it for ages, and surprisingly still is for two years!" Kreesa scoffed, spitting out the remains of what was in her mouth onto a piece of tissue. Just as she said that, Reese's tall figure passed by their table, clearly having overheard them, as his eyes were shooting daggers at Kreesa. However, very contrary to his usual reaction in such situations, he only headed towards his usual lunch table, without speaking or retaliating to any of them.

"Either that boy is still mourning from yesterday," Kreesa continued, gesturing towards Assile as she spoke, "or he's shitting his pants now that he realized it's Reaping Day and he has been assuring everyone that he'll volunteer." Finally, everyone laughed along, even Axon, glad to have been distracted by Kreesa's light sense of humor. And so for a short while they were able to forget about the horrors lying ahead. For a short while, they were able to laugh again, chat about mundane topics, and laugh at Reese - but only for a short while.

The blast of the horn was nearly deafening as it echoed across the school halls, in sync with the chiming huge cafeteria clock that just stroke at 12. It was like a wake-up call back to reality, and true enough, all the tension and anxiety was back. After the split-second silence that followed the sound of the horn, everyone began to stand up, pack their bags, clear food trays, and get ready to head outside the school grounds.

As Finnick and the others made their way outside to the school's main playground, they found their younger siblings all huddled together, waiting for them by the school's gate. Arielle was amongst them, waiting with an apparent fear in her eyes, being this the very first Reaping in which she'll have to attend. Although she would not be taking part in the Reaping, her mother still made sure she was adequately dressed, in a new blue dress that greatly contrasted her eyes. She looked adorable, and if the occasion were anything other than the Reaping, her smile would've been there, and she would've looked even more adorable.

"Hey there little princess." Finnick knelt in front of his sister, giving her the usual kiss on her cheek. "You ready?"

"I think so," she replied solemnly, before adding: "Do we have to go? Can't we just go to the beach where Kori is?" _How he wished they could've,_ Finnick thought regretfully.

"I'm afraid not princess. But after the Reaping we'll go. That way we know we got it over with." He tried to muster as much of a smile as he could, in the hopes of cheering his sister up. It seemed to have worked, since her mouth slightly twitched upwards in response.

"Ok!" she merely replied.

"Ready to go?" Axon called out with the others waiting behind him, with his two younger siblings – Shell and Lisa - clinging to his hands from either side. Shell was being particularly jittery and restless as if the hand she held was one she was clinging on for dear life. Finnick didn't need to question why – _she just turned 12 this summer_. Shell's name would be in the bowl this year. Lisa on the other hand had three more years to go.

"Where's Ray?" Finnick asked, suddenly realizing Axon's missing brother. He was about Finnick's age and was in most of Finnick's classes in school.

"He went to with Annie and Thresh to the beach to drop off Kori and Rue. I'll see him there at the square. Right, let's go."

They started to make their way out of the school gates and head towards the main town square with all the hoard of children walking in the same direction. Attendance was mandatory for all aged seven or above unless one was dying. Straight after the Reaping, peacekeepers would storm through the district households and beaches to ensure if this were the case. If not, those who missed the Reaping would be severally punished, and if they also happened to be eligible to have their name in the bowl, they would be publicly executed for their 'defiance of the Capitol'. So no one missed, not since the first quarter quell thirty nine years ago when a 15-year-old boy was hanged in public after he was found hiding in a cave during the Reaping.

Unfortunately, every year the Reaping took place in one of the most pleasant areas of district 4 – the famous main town square. It would always be busy with the morning hustle of citizens running off to their errands, and a "hang out" arena in the evenings – one in which Finnick has spent most of his childhood in. Surrounded by shops and a public market, the main square always projected a holiday-merry feel to it. Despite its more colorful appearance today, with all the lavish Capitol banners hung on buildings and street boards, as well as the many cameramen perched everywhere around the square, Finnick could not help but only detect an air of grimness, although nothing of the sort was clearly projected on the citizens now filing in by the masses.

The sign-in procedure was usually quite long and time-consuming, since each child had to be individually identified by blood type and fingerprint, and district 4 was a one of the bigger and hence more populated districts.

"This is it. Here we are," Axon spoke, as they finally stopped just before the lines of children waiting for identification. "So I guess this is where we split up as usual."

"Finnick!" Finnick turned around in search for the source of the shout. It was his father. Behind him, his mother and Axon's mother – who by her appearance looked like she was suffering a severe case of sleep deprivation – appeared. Without hesitation, Lisa – Axon's youngest sister – went to join her mother. Arielle on the other hand, refused to let go of her brother's hand.

"Arielle," Charles spoke as he approached his two children. "We have to go stand there at the back, Finnick is a big boy. He can take care of himself."

The 7-year-old looked once more at her brother, as if waiting for confirmation from him to leave with her father. Finnick nodded to her with a smile, and slowly, she let go of his hand to take her father's instead.

"Good luck Son," Charles said, patting his son on the shoulder. Without further ado, he turned to leave with Arielle and his mother, who blew him a goodbye kiss before she headed with the rest towards the families' section.

Turning around to face his friends once more, he looked at them with a concerned look, yet the last thing he chose to say was: "Well I guess I'll see you all later," and with that he made his way towards one of the lines, which has become significantly shorter as many have now already filed in. The others followed his lead.

As Finnick reached the front, he readily gave his arm to the Capitol attendant, waiting for the prick of the needle that would extract his blood for identification. It was only a small prick, yet knowing that it was the official sign in to the Reaping, it superficially felt more painful than it was supposed to. As he made his way in to the line of the fourteen-year-olds, he could feel the space getting tighter, more claustrophobic as more children filed in after sign in. The town square was humongous, yet district four's population was an approximate one million, with around two hundred thousand aged between twelve and eighteen. You can only fit so much in one space no matter how humongous. Many families had to in fact wait around the outskirts of the square, where screens were fixed in order to televise the event.

Finnick found himself standing around mid-way between the stage and the sign-in desks, with a sea of younger children all filling up the space in front. The stage was lavishly set up and decorated. One side of it was occupied by several rows of seats, while the center held a silver podium. The mayor of district four – mayor Hanes – his wife, and several other officials of the district, occupied the front row. On the seats behind, all the past victors of district four were seated. As a career district, district four was able to boast a number of twenty-one victors, a third of the total number of victors, of which sixteen of them were alive. All sixteen were present today, the oldest being 60-year old Mags – district four's first and only living female victor – and the youngest Cinna Kleffield, aged 23 and having won the games six years back.

Finnick could now spot Ray filing into the line behind him, looking somehow nervous. Catching his eye, Ray waved to him with a relieved expression, glad to have spotted a familiar face amid this crowd. As everyone began to settle down, Finnick was finally able to spot Assile from over the girls' section. When she too spotted him, she mouthed a silent good luck. He nodded back to her in return, before focusing back onto the stage, as the crowd miraculously silenced down.

Just as the clock stroke two, a tall slender woman wearing a dark red suit and heels for shoes, with her brown hair done up in a neat bun stepped onto the stage and up to the podium. It took a while for Finnick to register that this would be their new Capitol escort for the games. That was surprising – their old escort never failed to keep away flashy colors, bright white face paint and colorful wigs off her appearance. This new escort on the other hand looked… well _normal!_ While she did apparently apply makeup to her face, it was nowhere near as heavy and freakish as their old escorts'. In fact the only obvious eye-catch on her face was her red lipstick, which did not look half-bad with her overall poised appearance.

"Good Afternoon, citizens of district 4, and welcome to the sixty fifth annual Reaping!" There was a round of applause following her greeting. Even her voice lacked the usual bubbly and singsong tones that most Capitol escorts projected. Instead she spoke in a rather professional and straightforward monotone, as if she were addressing a group of politicians. "My name is Stacey Freeda, and as of today, I am district's four new escort to the annual Hunger Games. I would like to also welcome the honorable mayor of district four, mayor Hanes." Another round of applause projected at the mention of the mayor. "And please, a very warm welcome to all sixteen victors present here today." The clapping turned from monotonous to hearty cheering as Stacey Freeda listed the victors' names, ending with Cinna Kleffield, who garnered the biggest applause. Obviously he was the most popular.

"Now," she continued after everyone was silent again, "before we choose our tributes, I would like to present to you a special video from the Capitol, that for those who do not know, will explain the background and history of this annual ceremony." _As if that's even possible, _Finnick thought, _for no one to know_. It's not like the Capitol ever allowed room for people to ignore the existence of the Hunger Games.

As the video played, it told the same old story as every year. In fact, it was the exact same video as every year. It retold and depicted the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North America. No details were given about what North America was or used to be or anything concerning its civilizations. The video listed the disasters, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land, and the brutal war for what little sustenance remained. The result was Panem, a shining Capitol ringed by thirteen districts, which brought peace and prosperity to its citizens. Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason gave the districts the new laws to guarantee peace and, as their yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave them the Hunger Games.

Taking the kids from the districts, forcing them to kill one another while their families, friends and the whole nation watched — this was the Capitol's way of reminding them how totally the districts were at their mercy. Even worse, everyone was obliged to treat the Hunger Games like a festivity, a sporting event and a ceremony. What sickened Finnick even more, was that many actually _did _see it as a festivity.

When the video reached it's ending, Stacey Freeda stepped up to the podium again. "Right, as you can see, the Hunger Games entitle us today to choose two tributes, one boy and girl to compete in this year's Games. As usual, volunteers are allowed once a tribute has been reaped. Preference does not go towards the reaped tribute, but rather towards the first requesting volunteer."

_There was something odd about this escort, _Finnick thought incredulously. Not only was she calmer, and less flamboyant that a regular Capitol citizen, but her demeanor did not generally project that she was happy or exhilarated with this so-called _ceremony. _Could it be that she hated the Games too?

"And finally," she added, "I wish everyone a Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

It was time for the drawing now. She made her way to one of the two huge glass bowls, set on a table. _The boys' bowl!_ "Contrary to what you were probably used to every year with ladies going first, I would like to have a change of habit and go for the boys first this year."

She reached in, dug her hands deep into the bowl, and pulled out a white crisp slip of paper. The crowd was stunningly silent. Any pin drop could be heard. Not one breath could be heard, as it appeared that everyone was collectively holding one. Finnick was now looking at the escort, feeling quite nauseous because of the constant flipping of his stomach. _Just say out the name_, he thought desperately. _Get it over with. Let us go and enjoy the beach and the sun, and the relief of another safe year._ She opened the piece of paper, now the name clearly visible to her. Her eyes averted back to the crowd before uttering these next two words:

"Finnick Odair!"

One winter, when Finnick was only 6, he remembered falling into a freezing pond, because of standing on thin ice. When he fell in, it felt like there were a thousand knives stabbing at him on every bit of skin he possessed in his body. It was fiery and harsh, and if it were not for his father getting him out of the pond on time, he would've died then.

This was exactly how he felt right now, stabbed a thousand times over, except that it was worse, since there was no one to save him as his father did eight years ago. He was trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as his name echoed out across the huge town square. Apparently, the shock did only paralyze him alone. He could even hear gasps erupting from several kids, shocked at this revelation. No one expected this. No one. Finnick Odair, the prince of district 4, the wealthy son of one of district four's wealthiest families, who never ever had any need for tesserae, who amongst hundreds and thousands of slips, had his name only three times inside.

How could this happen? His chances of being chosen were near zero! There were countless others whose names were in there multiple times because of the tesserae! There were countless others who always boasted to wanting to volunteer! Well apparently not anymore. Not one male sole out of the hundred thousand stepped up to claim his place.

As he slowly moved his feet to make his way out of the crowd, he could feel the eyes of everyone on him, disbelieving, sad and many even angry. Obviously, the citizens of district four were not happy about sacrificing their golden boy. Yes, he was a great fighter and swimmer, but then again, _he was only 14!_ How much will he be able to compete against an 18-year-old for example, from district 2, twice his size?

He was walking now straight towards the stage. It only took minutes to reach the platform, yet the process felt like it would never end. As he slowly climbed the stairs onto the stage, and turned to face his whole district, he realized how terrible it was to be facing that many people at such a moment. He wished they were much less, so that he could easily spot his family and his friends, so that amidst this turmoil, he would not feel alone. But the crowd was huge. He could not spot anyone, no one he wanted to spot. Even Assile and Ray, who he was able to make eye contact with just a few minutes ago, were lost in this suffocating crowd.

Before Stacey Freeda had a chance to comment, a slow yet elaborate clap erupted from amidst the crowd. Finnick averted his eyes to detect the source of the clapping, realizing that it came from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. It was Grey.

"You can do it Finnick! Show them your strength!" Grey shouted with the loudest boom he could muster. At that, everyone else started to clap along with Grey, and in seconds, the whole one million of the population were cheering for Finnick, shouting out his name and whistling. In no time, the cheerful clapping turned into a collective and repetitive chant to his name. They believed in him. They were telling him to fight, to come home. _To Win! _

_He could fight. He could win. And he will! He will come back home. It won't be the last time he sees district 4 or his family. He will fight and win. For his parents. For Arielle. _

"Well then," Stacey Freeda continued, in an attempt to silence everyone again. It took what felt like an eternity before everyone did finally silence down. "Congratulations to our boy tribute. We wish you the best of luck Finnick, and apparently everyone seems to do so. And now, it is time for us to choose our girl tribute."

By the time she crossed the stage to the glass bowl with the girls' names, roamed her arm through the pieces of paper in that bowl, and eventually extracted the paper with the chosen girl's name, Finnick barely had time to wish for his friends' safety. He silently prayed that no one he knows gets picked. He was praying for Shell, Axon's little sister; he was praying for Kreesa, for Kreesa's sister; he was praying for…

"Assile Fenning!"


End file.
